


A Lifetime of Learning You

by There_Once_Was_A_Girl



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, Get Together, Jealousy, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 03:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8127809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/There_Once_Was_A_Girl/pseuds/There_Once_Was_A_Girl
Summary: Ransom has a major crush on Tater and Holster is Jealous





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by foxtrot-thelaxbro on tumblr, and these words of Nogzi's from the nortes on 3.8:
> 
> Justin Oluransi: wait but did Alexei Mashkov for real pick up Parse though  
> Justin Oluransi: who does that, incredible  
> Justin Oluransi: he’s so strong lol  
> Justin Oluransi: it’s like he dragged him out the scrum with one hand?? how much does parse weight 180? lololol  
> Adam J Birkholtz: dear god justin  
> Jack L. Zimmermann: Tater is a beast.  
> Jack L. Zimmermann: Go to bed.
> 
> The fic starts right after that text conversation ends. 
> 
> As always I own nothing etc etc. Anyway, hope you enjoy this

They both put their phones away but Holster knew that Ransom wasn’t asleep. He could feel the tension of Ransom wanting to say something but hesitating. He could practically picture Ransom lying in the bunk above him, opening his mouth and then closing it again, trying to convince himself to just go to sleep and not to talk. It made Holster worry sometimes that he knew the other man as well as he did, to the point where silences were as easy to interpret as words, even when he couldn’t see Ransom. What really worried him though was how scared he was of the thought of someday not being able to know. These days he always knew what was going on with Ransom, he knew his best friend better than anyone else in the world including possibly himself. Except all of a sudden they were standing on the edge of a new future in which they weren’t going to be together all the time. They hadn’t talked about it at all. Holster was terrified, terrified that they’d never talk and then one day he’d go to see his best friend and not know what his silences meant anymore. Holster was more afraid of losing Ransom than he was of anything else in the world. He tried not to think about why but the past year had forced him to acknowledge it. He was in love with Ransom. 

He had been trying to deny it for as long as he could remember but Holster couldn’t lie to himself forever. He had been in love with his best friend for a while and it was slowly destroying him. He hadn’t been able to admit it to himself fast enough and then Ransom had started dating March, so he had shoved it back down where he’d never have to face it. He told himself that he was happy for his friend and tried not to think about it. Then Ransom and March had split up two weeks ago. Ransom had said they mutually agreed that they just didn’t work that well. Holster hadn’t been able to ignore the violent hope in his chest when he heard. He couldn’t silence the voice in his head saying ‘Of course they didn’t work. She didn’t know him well enough, didn’t understand, no one understands him as well as I do.’ He couldn’t ignore how damn in love with his best friend he was. And now: this. 

“God, Mashkov is just so fucking incredible though, you know?” Ransom said at last. Holster sighed heavily. He couldn’t get Ransom to stop talking about Alexei “Tater” fucking Mashkov. Rans never shut up about the dude, how he was just the best fucking player, and “have you heard his Accent though?” and how he was just the best in every way. Holster was so close to losing all of his cool. 

“You’ve said a million times, Justin, he’s the best, he’s beautiful and amazing and fantastic in every way. We all get it, you have a major boner for Tater.” 

“Oh come on, bro, you can’t say you wouldn’t tap that?!” Ransom demanded.

“Yeah, I fucking can. He’s not really my type.” Holster said. 

“How? He’s like, everybody’s type!” Ransom exclaimed. “What’s wrong with you tonight bro, you are being like majorly pissy.”

“No I’m not.” Holster said, convincing no one. 

“You’ve called me Justin twice tonight.” Ransom reminded him. Holster pounded his head backwards into his pillow, hating absolutely everything about this conversation, hating the jealousy that twisted through his chest every time he heard Ransom start talking about Tater fucking Mashkov. 

“I’m just sick of listening to you pine over him, okay?! Just have Jack introduce you so you two can fuck or ride off into the sunset or whatever the fuck you want! Then I wouldn’t have to deal with this bullshit 24/7 anymore!” Holster snapped. He knew instantly that he had let out way too much anger, too many feelings he had been trying so hard to hide.

“Holster, what the hell?” Ransom asked, his voice shaky and hurt. Holster ached to apologize immediately, to tell Ransom he never wanted to hurt him, but some evil vindictive part of him that was still angry won out. 

“I’m tired. Goodnight.” He huffed, turning towards the wall.

“What, dude, no.” Ransom muttered. Then he was climbing down and sitting on the edge of Holster’s bed. Holster stayed resolutely facing the wall. 

“Leave me alone, Rans.” He growled.

“No, Holster we need to talk about what the fuck is going on right now, because I’m lost but that was a lot more venom than this just being irritance over my celebrity crush.” Ransom said, still sounding shaken. Holster couldn’t remember the last time they had really fought. 

“It’s not really a celebrity crush if you actually have a shot with the person, Ransom.” Holster said quietly. “It wouldn’t be that hard for you to just get his number from Jack or whatever and actually take a shot at it. And pardon me if I don’t enjoy listening to you go on and on about some dude you really want to fuck.” It all slipped out before he could stop himself from saying it. He felt Ransom go completely still. 

“Holster?” He asked, a sort of urgency in his voice. “Are you jealous?” 

“Can’t you leave me the fuck alone?!” Holster snapped defensively. 

“Holster, turn the fuck around and look at me.” Ransom ordered. His voice was quiet but commanding and Holster found himself rolling over and sitting up to look at Ransom against his better instincts. Ransom was wide eyed and looked properly shaken.

“Are you jealous?” Ransom asked again. Holster couldn’t lie to his face. 

“Of course I am.” He said quietly. “You think I’d be this big of a dick if I wasn’t?” 

“You’re jealous, because I have a crush on Alexei Mashkov?” Ransom asked again. 

“I just said that! Now can we stop talking and pretend this conversation never happened?” Holster asked desperately, wanting to be anywhere else in the entire world. 

“No. I need to know why.” Ransom said seriously. “Holster, you need to know right now that this isn’t anything but a celebrity crush and professional admiration on my part. I’d never actually act on it if I met him. I wouldn’t do that because I’m in love with someone else, which is also why I broke up with March. So I need to know right fucking now if you are jealous because you’re just attracted to me or if it’s something more.” He said, looking terrified. 

“I-” Holster struggled to speak, too overwhelmed by everything that Ransom had just said. “I’m in love with you.” He forced the words from his throat in a hoarse whisper. Ransom grinned. 

“Thank god.” Ransom said leaning forwards to catch Holster’s lips with his. Holster felt like his chest was going to explode as he kissed back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two of them did end up meeting Tater later that year, when they went to one of Jack’s home games. Ransom was a complete fanboy, asking Tater to sign the Mashkov jersey that he was wearing and obsessing in general. Holster had wondered going into it if he would feel jealous seeing his boyfriend totally lose it over some other guy but in the end he didn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to feel anything but grateful to Tater, after all it was Ransom’s obsession that had gotten them together. Besides, Holster had no reason to be jealous. He had found out that he didn’t know Ransom quite as well as he had expected, to miss something as big as his friend being in love with him, but he had a whole life ahead of him to fix that.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are my lifeblood. Thanks for reading y'all


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